Importance

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Abstract

A vehicle location system and method whereby the position coordinates of a vehicle are made available to other vehicles or to fixed locations by transmission of a data message containing position coordinates of the vehicle. The time slot in which the data message is transmitted is uniquely assigned to each transmitting vehicle as a function of its position in a grid segment with respect to a reference waypoint assigned to that grid segment. Position information in latitude and longitude is provided to each receiving vehicle, together with a precise timing signal, by the Global Positioning System (GPS), or by the Global Orbiting Navigational Satellite System (GLONASS), or by both systems. A synthetic latitude function and a synthetic longitude function provide a periodic mapping of a specific time period onto areas represented by grid segments charted on the global surface. These synthetic functions are initiated and controlled by the precise timing signal from the GPS or GLONASS systems. Each grid segment is assigned a reference waypoint at the northernmost and westernmost point of the grid segment. The vehicle's position in a grid segment with respect to the reference waypoint of that grid segment is determined mathematically. The vehicle's relative position in the grid segment is then correlated to the time mapping of the grid segment provided by the synthetic functions. The vehicle transmits its data message during the mapped time slot corresponding to its position within a grid segment.

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First Claim